Gaetano Cavalieri said the message of the Hollywood actor shown on the site of the Diamond Foundry synthetic stones producer damages the livelihood of people in Africa and other countries where the diamond sector is important.
Dr Cavalieri, the President of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), criticized the comments of Hollywood actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, the most famous of the investors in the synthetic diamond industry start-up company, the Diamond Foundry.
The message on its website from DiCaprio states that, by buying a man-made diamond, one will be "reducing the human and environmental toll of the diamond industry by sustainably culturing diamonds without the destructive use of mining."
"Now, in and of itself, that statement by Mr DiCaprio about the human toll of diamond mining is problematic," Dr Cavalieri said.
"After all, if the only way we can protect people in Africa and elsewhere from the consequences of mining is by cutting them out of the diamond production business entirely, it is indeed a sad state of affairs."
